Orofacial Pain: Problem Based Learning

Pain is a universal human experience, but acute and chronic pain has both physical and psychological effects. For that reason the World Health Organisation recognised pain relief as a basic human right. Orofacial pain is seen as particularly damaging - deemed ‘inescapable’ by its sufferers.

This book takes a problem-based learning approach to orofacial pain, focusing on neuropathic trigeminal pain and persistent temporomandibular disorder. Topics covered include symptomology of several types of orofacial pain, pain progression and the psychosocial factors involved in pain. Each chapter includes detailed patient cases illustrating how to identify relevant physical changes and psychometric tests to measure levels of depression, anxiety and stress in the clinical situation.

The book aims to enable clinicians to gain a better understanding of patient pain, to reassure the patient that they are understood and to build an effective pain management strategy, recognising the biopsychosocial nature of pain.